Feeding Cattle Chicken/Turkey Feed

farmer2018 · 14-12-2021 4:08pm #1

I am hearing and seeing farmers feeding cattle chicken/turkey feed, what are the benefits over beef nuts if any?

Anto_Meath · 14-12-2021 5:08pm

I thought that wasn't allowed, I was of the understanding that you needed an exemption to buy chicken feed. Remember buy a nice little store bullock one time and he melted.. vet was of the opinion the previous owner was probably feeding him chicken meal, he did came right after a long time.

wrangler · 14-12-2021 5:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118321417#Comment_118321417

Arsenic used to be used as a growth promoter in turkey food , I doubt if it still used

Easten · 14-12-2021 5:37pm

I heard some of the Pedigree Bull breeders using Turkey feed, I guess it promotes better growth and weight gain than standard Bull ration and costs a good bit less

ruwithme · 14-12-2021 8:07pm

About 2years ago now, I was buying meal from the local co op,meal was being supplied from a well known in the north east animal feed miller.

Small quantities in barrels as was needed,literally overnight from the evening before it was brought home from co op, maggots appeared on the top of meal, climbing the inside of the barrel.

Maybe 6 to 10 initially, easy enough to pick em out, this was in December 19, so not exactly a time you'd expect to find maggots

Thought the issue was at my end, informed co op anyway, for about 3 mornings after a barrel was brought home every time maggots would be there waiting to be picked out

Barrels were washed before filling & a sound flat piece of plywood covering the barrels always. Nothing lying dead or rotten in yard.

Time moved on anyway,as in months later & maggots still presented on the top of the meal for picking out, strangely there seemed to be less as spring into summer arrived, couldn't figure that one out.

Co op had no answer, claimed their bin was clean & free of old meal & I was the only one finding maggots in meal.the miller sent a rep out one day to take a sample from barrel, haven't heard from him since.

Anyway changed miller, & no maggots since. One man more travelled than me said the Miller in question had been found sometime in the past to be mixing chicken litter into meal.

Op, thread title just reminded me of it.

Tonynewholland · 14-12-2021 8:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118322201#Comment_118322201

If that's true I'm surprised you didn't have a lot of your livestock die from botulism

kk.man · 14-12-2021 8:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118321523#Comment_118321523

Yes I know of a fella not far from started buying turkey feed around the time angel dust was being stamped out. He claimed it to be good stuff.

Like you say all those growth promoters are gone from such feed now.

FintanMcluskey · 14-12-2021 10:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118322426#Comment_118322426

Likely soldier fly maggots.

Humans eat them, as can cows, and are very nutritional.

Although I'm not sure if they would survive the weather in Winter

Base price · 14-12-2021 10:50pm

Since the BSE/vCJD crisis is meat and bone meal used in poultry feed in Ireland - I know it's not used in cattle or sheep feed. I used to buy Connelly/Red Mills poultry grower and layers pellets for hens that I kept at home and it didn't contain any.

ruwithme · 15-12-2021 6:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118322426#Comment_118322426

Well the maggots in the meal are true.their origin I don't know that, as for the chicken litter been added to meal by the Miller in question, obviously I can't prove that one, thankfully cattle were 100% eating the same meal.

wrangler · 15-12-2021 6:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118327159#Comment_118327159

Chicken litter is acceptable feed for cattle in some countries, but I think it's banned in Europe.

I'm sure it has to be treated for bacteria

Feeding Cattle Chicken/Turkey Feed

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